Turkey police detain 18 in graft crackdown on Istanbul municipality
ISTANBUL, May 20 (Reuters) - Turkish police detained 18 employees of Istanbul's municipality on graft charges, state broadcaster TRT Haber said on Tuesday, extending a crackdown on the opposition and the city's jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.
President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, Imamoglu was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, sparking Turkey's largest protests in a decade. Popular support for Imamoglu has since risen further above Erdogan, opinion polls show.
Among the latest wave of arrests in an investigation into municipal tenders were staff of the municipality's media and culture companies, including the head of its media department, TRT said.
Detention warrants were issued for a total of 22 employees, 18 of whom have so far been arrested, it added.
The mayor has denied all charges. His arrest triggered economic turmoil and accusations of a politicised judiciary that the government has rejected, saying the judges are independent.
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Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
We shall not remain a free country if we continue to submit to radical Islamists
It shows in what strange times we live that it is the chairman of Reform, of all parties, who resigns over the question of banning the burka. Surely his party is the likeliest to favour a ban or – at least – to be able to contain internal disagreements on the subject. Probably Reform's chairman, Zia Yusuf, had other reasons to go. He is not the first person to find it challenging to work closely with Nigel Farage. In a spooky way, Reform tends to act as a mini-Maga, mirroring Trumpery in its highs and lows. Over there, Donald Trump and Elon Musk explode with a cosmic bang; over here, Farage and Yusuf then go off with a smaller pop. For this reason, I suspect that when Maga falters, as it eventually will, so will Reform. Nevertheless, Mr Yusuf is a Muslim. Partly for that reason, he was a recruitment coup for the supposedly 'Islamophobic' Reform. On Thursday, he said his party's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, had been 'dumb', at Prime Minister's Questions, to call for a burka ban; then he resigned. Let me take two other recent examples of where attitudes to Islam raise knotty problems. On Monday, Hamit Coskun, an atheist Turk, was found guilty of a 'religiously aggravated public order offence' and fined. He had burnt a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish consulate in London. In an article in this week's Spectator, Mr Coskun says he was protesting about President Erdogan of Turkey changing his country from a firmly secular state to 'a base for radical Islamists while trying to create a sharia regime'. The magistrate, however, decided otherwise. Mr Coskun had been 'motivated at least in part by hatred of followers of the [Muslim] religion', he said, and so he was a criminal. My other example comes from events outside Parliament on Wednesday. A noisy mob of anti-Israel demonstrators blocked, insulted and intimidated MPs and peers trying to enter. The protesters proudly announced that they were drawing a red line round the premises, as if they had that right. A disabled peer I know who travels by wheelchair, found it frightening to get through the crowd, though he determinedly persisted. He complained to a police officer, and got the airy reply, 'It's free speech, isn't it?' It indicates the sense of vulnerability such situations arouse that the peer asks me not to print his name. Another peer, Lord Moynihan, was surrounded near the Tube station entrance by black-clad youths who subjected him to an involuntary interview, which they filmed, including the question: 'Do you condemn the massacres of Gazans?' 'I do indeed condemn the terrible shootings by Hamas of their own people,' he bravely answered. It was noticeable – and has happened before – that when there are Gaza marches the police and the parliamentary authorities are lax about ensuring legislators can enter freely and protesters are kept at a distance. They seem not to acknowledge the vital difference between free speech and threatening behaviour. Obviously, the greatest passion behind the Gaza marches comes from Muslims (though the secular hard-Left is also involved). Have the police made a covert bargain with the march organisers? The fear of being called 'Islamophobic ' seems to disable the police's judgment. They do not properly enforce public order or protect the right of MPs, peers or staff, to reach their place of work unimpeded. Nor do they protect the right of ordinary citizens to enter Parliament without fear. They act as if the 'right to protest' allows parliamentary democracy to be made subject to a picket line. Yesterday, with many other peers, I signed a letter to the Lord Speaker, organised by Lord Walney. One of our points was that, on top of normal public-order legislation, there are at least four other laws which specifically protect Parliament from such attacks. Why are these not enforced, we asked, and why do the parliamentary authorities not take a stronger line to insist that they should be? One of the attractions of Britain to immigrants is that we are a free country, treasuring free speech. In many cases, immigrants enhance our freedom. Now that immigration is on such a vast scale, however, we suffer because many immigrants do not come from freedom-loving cultures. To the extent that immigrants can be grouped by religion, the largest single group are Muslims. For complex political, economic and cultural reasons, Islam is in global ferment. In that ferment, freedom is often scorned, except the freedom to advance interpretations of Islam, often the most extreme ones. Such Islamists have punitive, sometimes violent attitudes to promoting their version of their faith. At worst, this takes the form of terrorism. The words 'Allahu Akbar!' ('God is great!') have become the war-cry of an imminent explosion or attack. Even without actual violence, Islamism often involves naked anti-Semitism and unreasoning hatred of Israel. Militant Islam also tries to assert its power against the sort of freedoms which the rest of us (including, do not forget, many Muslims) cherish. Examples include forcing women and girls to cover their heads and even their faces, prohibitions on school swimming or singing, protests against being served by women in the public services and the banning of certain books and films. A leading Islamist demand is for a blasphemy law, although its supporters use other words to describe it. Most Muslims are highly sensitive to any perceived insult to their prophet, Mohammed, or to the Koran. Because they regard the Koran as 'the unmediated word of God', some take the view that disrespect to the physical object, the book of his word, is a direct attack on him, and therefore must be avenged. Belief in the sacredness of religious scriptures should be respected by non-believers, but it must not be defended by law, no matter how much transgressions may offend Muslims. It is unpleasant and foolish to burn the Koran in public, just as it was – which often happened in Britain until quite recently – to burn effigies of the Pope. But the only conceivable justification for banning would be in special incidents – burning a Koran in front of worshippers entering a mosque, for example – which would amount to an incitement to violence. The offence here should not be because the act was 'religiously aggravated'. A modern country should not adjudicate between the sincerity, truth or competing ardour of different religious claims. All it can judge is that some things in some places breach civil peace. In all the cases cited above, you can see politicians and public authorities tiptoeing round the subject. Surefootedness is certainly better than clodhopping where religion is concerned. But there is a growing, justified fear that we shall not continue as a free country if we defer to the angriest Muslim voices. Two concepts need to be faced down. The first is the idea of 'Islamophobia', to which this Government wants to give legal shape. The word 'phobia' suggests psychological abnormality, yet surely people are entitled to be frightened of any religion, especially of Christianity and Islam, which aims for conversion and claims universal truth. Such fears may be misplaced, but they are not criminal. The other concept embedded in public policy, thanks to the Equality Act, is that of 'protected characteristics' – one's religion, sex, sexuality, age, disability, race etc. These are intended to defend people against persecution, but in practice they drive us into warring categories. The only protected characteristic anyone should need is to be a British citizen. That unites. Everything else divides.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- The Independent
Interpol issues red notice for Ghana's ex-finance minister over corruption claims
Global police organization Interpol placed Ghana 's former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta on its red notice list on Friday for allegedly using public office for personal gain. The notice follows a request from the West African country's prosecutors who have declared Ofori-Atta a 'fugitive' after he failed to appear before an investigative panel this month citing medical reasons. The former minister's lawyers said they submitted medical records to the court showing he is receiving treatment abroad. His exact location remains unclear. Ofori-Atta's lawyer, Frank Davies, told The Associated Press that the declaration of his client as a 'fugitive' is 'very condescending" and 'an unfettered infringement of Ofori-Atta's rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.' Davies said the former minister had informed the authorities of his intention to travel outside the country for medical attention since February. An Interpol red notice — while not an arrest warrant — alerts law enforcement agencies to locate and detain Ofori-Atta pending extradition. Ofori-Atta, who served as finance minister from 2017 to 2024 for the New Patriotic Party, is accused of having been involved in several corruption cases, including the misuse of $58 million of public funds for a national cathedral project that never materialized. Last December, the NPP's candidate Mahamudu Bawumia lost the the presidential election to the National Democratic Congress nominee John Mahama. Since taking office in January, Mahama has launched an anti-corruption campaign aimed at recovering $20 billion in alleged stolen state funds. Critics, however, say the effort has spared allies of his administration. Ofori-Atta has not commented on the accusations, but has said in the past he was unlawfully treated by the prosecution. In March, he filed a lawsuit against the office of the special prosecutor, requesting the removal of 'damaging' content from the office's social media platforms.
BBC News
18 hours ago
- BBC News
What next after Interpol issue red notice for Ghana 'fugitive' ex-minister?
Interpol don put Ghana former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta on red notice list on top accuse say e allegedly use public office for personal gain. Dis dey come afta Ghanaian prosecutors declare am as wanted pesin and fugitive from justice, as e dey outside di kontri, ova im alleged involvement for plenty corruption cases wen e dey government. Red notice no be arrest warrant but na request to police worldwide to detain pesin pending extradition. Ofori-Atta, wey dem say dey out of di kontri for medical reasons, neva comment on di allegations, but e say dem dey treat am illegally. AFP news agency wey quote Frank Davies, on Ofori-Atta legal team, condemn di prosecutor approach. "We don submit medical records in good faith, and di office don choose to ignore dem," Oga Davies tell AFP. "Di special prosecutor no dey sensitive to di issues wey dey ground, especially since e know say Ofori-Atta no well and e dey receive treatment." Dem accuse di 65-year-old say e cause financial losses to di state. Di allegations include questions ova procurement procedures for di building of one controversial national cathedral, wey remain as a hole for ground despite di alleged spending of $58m (£46.6m) of goment money. Ofori-Atta lawyers don offer to represent am but di state prosecutor say dem no fit respond to criminal charges on behalf of dia client. Ofori-Atta lawyers don offer to represent am but di state prosecutor say dem no fit respond to criminal charges on behalf of dia client. For February, Ofori-Atta beg di Office of di Special Prosecutor (OSP) to remove im name from di wanted list and provide am a definite return date for May. State prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng accept Ofori-Atta assurance and remove im name come di wanted list. But for March, Ofori-Atta bin file one lawsuit, wia e claim unlawful treatment and request di removal of related content from di OSP social media platforms. Early dis month, dem re-declare Ofori-Atta as wanted pesin and a fugitive from justice afta e fail to appear bifor one investigative panel. Agyebeng later formally begin di Red Notice request, e ask for international help in tracking down di former official, local media report. "We want am here physically, and we insist on am. Suspect for inside criminal investigation no dey pick and choose how di investigative body go conduct dia investigations," Agyebeng tok. For di Red Notice released late Thursday, Interpol say Ofori-Atta dey wanted on charges of "using public office for profit". Wetin e mean to dey on 'Interpol red list' Red Notice na request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest pesin pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. E dey based on arrest warrant or court order wey judicial authorities issue from di kontri wey dey make di request. Member kontris fit apply dia own laws in deciding weda to arrest di pesin. Red Notices dey important bicos dem dey use am to alert police for all member kontris about internationally wanted fugitives. Red Notices dey help bring fugitives to justice, sometimes many years afta dem commit di original crime. Who be Ken Offori-Atta? Offori-Atta na di finance minister from January 2017 to February 2024, wen di New Patriotic Party (NPP) bin dey for power. Di NPP lost last December elections to di National Democratic Congress. President John Mahama, wey dey inaugurated for January, bin go on to establish one investigative committee wey dey known as Operation Recover All Loot. Di committee don receive ova 200 complaints of corruption, wey amount to more dan $20bn in recoverable funds. Oga Mahama don direct di attorney general and minister of justice to launch investigations into dis allegations, e say Ghana no go be safe haven for corruption. However, some Ghanaians don criticise am for say e stop di cases against im former allies on trial.
